The present invention relates to a water craft.
The use of a kite as a means for towing a craft is known per se, but it is not enjoying any particular development because of the often poor stability of a kite sail, because of its low propulsion efficiency when sailing close to the wind, and because of the difficulties launching the sail and bringing it back down.
Propelling a craft by using the force of the wind is currently in very wide use by means of a “traditional” rig in which one or more sails are deployed by means of masts and ropes. Depending on the “point of sailing”, i.e. the course of the craft relative to the direction of the wind, the sail is positioned so that its leading edge or “luff” is disposed substantially tangentially to the direction of the apparent wind in order to maximize the propulsion component transmitted to the craft.
However, the sail filled by the wind in this way also generates a capsizing component directed substantially transversely to the craft. As is known in sailing, the capsizing component and the lateral resistance component or “leeward drift reaction component” of the floating body of the craft generate tilting torque causing the craft to heel over. This phenomenon explains, in particular, why it is impossible to increase the sail area as much as would be liked without running the risk of causing the craft to capsize.